[The following letter is a draft retained in the papers of Gen. John Hartwell Cocke]

Major General Rob. E Lee

Permit an old soldier whose experience
in the militia service of our state in the War of 1812
strongly impressed ^’him’ with the conviction that the Kentucky shirt, ought to be
to make a suggestion for your consideration.
our national uniform, to make that suggestion for your consideration.
if the cheapness & readiness with which ^’this’ military costhume [sic] can be
adopted is more than overbalanced by a gayer & more showy
state of dress in your better experience & observation — I ^’shall’ acquiesce
cheerfully in your decision. nothing doubting you have duly
considered the pros & the cons touching the subject–

Yours with highest consideration ^’regard’ & respect

John H. Cocke

Head Quarters Potomac Dept.
7 A.M.

A Proclamation
Amongst the first to be called, by authority of the state
to her defence, assigned to duty on the Potomac position,
within twenty four hours, I was in sight of the position
of the armed hosts of the North.

For a line of defence, reaching from the mouth
of the Potomac to the extreme mountain rills of
that great river; I come to organize for & maintain
its defence.

Men of Virginia: to arms! Men of the tidewater
of Piedmont, of the Valley, of trans Allegha-
ny, to the Ohio border: to arms!

The once peaceful Capital of the United States is
now the grand rallying point of the armed
military power of the North

The constitution of your country, the sovereign rights
of you state, truth justice and liberty are all
ignored & outraged amidst the brutal & frenzied
cry of the North for: force: force:

At this moment twenty five thousand armed men
profane, by their insolent presence, the city, the grave
and the memory of Washington, whilst an

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unbroken stream of thousands violate the soil of Mary-
land and murder her citizens, in their march
to reinforce & occupy the Capital: And for what?
the Capital has never been threatened. Tis not now
threatened! It is beyond & outside the limits of the free
& sovereign state of Virginia. The North has not openly
declared war on us. We make no war on them.
But should Virginia’s soil and the grave of Washington
be polluted by the tread of a single man in arms
from north of the Potomac it will cause open war.

Men of the Potomac border. Men within the bounds
of the Military Potomac Department from the
Chesapeake to the Alleghany: to arms: to arms: to arms:
Your country calls you to her defence. Already you
have in spirit responded. You await but the order
to march, to rendezvous, to organize, to defend
your state. Your liberty and your homes

Women of Virginia cast from your arms all cowards
and breathe the pure and holy, the gentle & glowing
inspirations of your nature into the hearts and souls
of lover, husband, brother, father:

Almighty God: Author & Governor of the world,
from whom, cometh light, truth, justice, & power,
thou art our God,thou wilt be with us.
We fear not a world against us.

MSS 640

Quarter Master’s Dept.

Genl. [John H.] Cocke,

Dr Sir
I desire to purchase, what
oats, & hay, you may have on hand, for
the use of the Volunteer forces of Virginia.
If you have any straw, it would be a
great favor to the service, if you could
have it baled, and sent down as our
troops will suffer for that article.
W J wood

Hd Qrs Va Forces

General

Your communications of this
date enclosing one to Genl. Ruggles and
one from Lieuts Maury & Smith, State
Navy, have been received, Caotaub
Lynch, State’s Navy, has been sent
to examine the defensible points of
the Potomad River, and where any-
thing based upon his report has been
definitely determined upon, you
will be duly informed of it.

Col [?]ett, Va. Vols. will be ordered
to report to you for duty when you will
be able to send him to Alexandria in the
place of Lt. Col. Taylor.

I am, sir,
Very respectfully
Yr obt servt
R. S. Garnett
Adj. Genl

Maj. Gen Cocke
Va Vols
Alex.

MSS 640

Head Quarters, Va forces,
Richmond, Virginia,

General orders
no. 7

In order that there may
be no misapprehension it is hereby
ordered that the State of Virginia will
not be held responsible for any extra
charge by Rail Road companies, for
running extra trains for the transport-
ation of persons employed in the mil-
itary service of the State, freight,
supplies, munitions of war etc. without
express authority in writing from the
Quarter Master in Richmond in charge
of the Department of Transportation.

But in case of extraordinary
emergency this rule will be waived
so far as to empower Rail-Road
officers to telegraph to the Quarter Master
General at Richmond for authority

[page 2]
to employ extra trains if it shall be
considered absolutely essential for the
interests of the public service.

No compensation will be made
for the transportation of any persons in
the military service, freight, supplies,
munitions of war, etc. [except supplies
to the subsistence Department] unless
specially authorized by the aforesaid
Quarter Master, or some other officer
with written authority from the Quarter
Masters’ Department, or some one of the
General officers commanding Divisions,
or Departments of the State.

subsistence supplies will be
consigned to the Commissary of Subsis-
tence at the point of destination, and
a receipt from him, or an authorized
officer of his Department, will be
considered a sufficient voucher
for payment.

All officers of Rail-Road
companies are requested to render

[page 3]
their accounts weekly, to be accom-
panied by the written orders from
properly authorized officers as
specified aforesaid, as vouchers,
when said accounts will be duly
examined and certified to by the
Quarter Master’s Department for
payment thereof.

Troops, baggage, munitions
and subsistence stores from other
States will be forwarded from
Weldon and Goodson without any
special order.

By order of Maj. Genl. Lee.

R. S. Garnett
Adj. Genl.

MSS 640

Hd Qrs Va Forces

General

You were telegraphed this morning to
place Lt col Taylor or other experienced officer
in command of the troops in and about Alex-
andria. the General desires that he be instructed
to take measures to secure the guns, ammunition, and
provisions, and to unite with the officers of the Rail
Road Companies in securing all the rolling stock of
their roads, and in effectually breaking up the roads
themselves, should he be driven by force from that point.

I am Sir
Very respectfully
Yr obt servt
R.S. Garnett
Adj Genl.

Brig Genl Cocke
Va Vols

MSS 640

6th S.C. Infantry
                     Fort Palmetto
                                                           May 2, 1861
     My Dear Wife
                             As I wrote you last night
Wm. Creight will leave for home to-morrow, and
this letter and the clothes you will receive as soon
as he reaches home.  You will see that my “nose”
apparel is about to be dismantled.  I expect to
be the bearer of dispatches to the city to-morrow
morning, and I will probably purchase
a piece of Lawn which if you receive you
will know how to dispose of at an early
date.  I hope to visit home in about two
weeks, but my duties are such that I
cannot now say positively.  Having again
this morning been dispatched on detached
service to Fort Pickens I breakfasted
aboard the Steamer Seabrook, having
Cod Fish Balls, sausage and other varieties
From a letter of Genl Beauregard to Col
Rion I learned that the prospect for
being removed up the country is quite
uncertain.  We do hope earnestly that wars
and rumors of wars will be silenced
and every thing settled satisfactorily.  Col
Rion dined with us to-day, and returns
to his Post this afternoon.  I feel badly
that Wm is going home and I cannot

accompany him.  I am so anxious to again
get home and see the loved ones.  It seems
an age since we bid them adieu, and often
have I been homesick since our parting.  The
trial was a sore one, and at almost every
point my feelings were touched by witnessing the
same ordeal that I had so recently passed
through myself.  Hoping that you will write me
at least twice a week or more, and
that we may soon be in the enjoyment of our
homes with all their pleasures and joys I
                        am
                             Your very affectionate Husband
                                                    J.M. Phinney

[transcription by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 12661

My Dear Master

As there has been several letters
writen to you from here I have
put off writing untill this time.
We are not all well at presant.
I have been very unwell for two
or three days but feels a little
better to day. Mr. L Powell has
also been very unwell he fell
over a stump in the yard the
other night and got his arm
knocked out of place, but he is
nearly well again. the woman Sally
that was sick when you went away
has not yet been restored to her
health but is now walking about.
The rest of of the people are very well.
Cain commenced chopping out cotton
yesterday. it looks very well what part
of it that i have seen. but they

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say that it has not borne up very
well in the same places. the corn they say
is doing very well. both here and
at New Hope. our potatoes are coming
up very well. we planted our first
Saturday evening. the garden seems to
be coming on very well. we have
but very few Tomatoes planted as yet
but I think that more will come
up after a while. we have had garden
peas ever since the first of April.
the cabbage is growing very fast.
the peas that you brought out are
planted in the garden and are
all up. Etter and her Baby are both
well. her Baby grows very fast.
We got a letter from Mr Powell
a few days ago. he was well but
he did not say what time that he
would be down. I saw Mr and
Mrs Borden last Sunday they were
very anxious to hear from you. their
family and master Joes are all well.

[page 3]
mrs. Averys family is well I heard
that Miss Mary’ is coming home.
we have preaching regularly at the
Chapel. Mr. Brame took dinner with
us the last time he preached at the
Chapel. The people thinks a great
deal of him. I will now bring my letter
to a close hoping soon to hear from
you. your servant
Lucy. Skipwith.

Genl. John. H. Cocke.

The slave Lucy Skipwith was entrusted by her master, John H. Cocke with the running of the household at his Alabama plantation from the 1840s through the Civil War. She wrote him regularly about events and daily life there. Cocke offered to send her to Liberia with other members of the Skipwith family but she stalled. At the plantation she used her influence to run a school for other slaves and protect them from sale and unjust punishment. After the war she continued her correspondence with Cocke but with a less subservient tone. See “Dear Master”: letters of a slave family, edited by Randall M. Miller

MSS 640

Dear Mother,

Here I am in
good health & spirits
regularly embarked in
a soldiers life. It has
its hardships but I think
they are overballanced by
its pleasures. I am very
much pleased with the
people I meet here &
think F. must be the
most hospitable place
in the world. I went
down to [?] day before yesterday
& got back last night.
I was very much pleased
with my visit & wish I
could have stayed longer.

[page 2]
We are in for a fight
I think & that in the
next six weeks too
but we are sure that
we are right & that is
half the battle. We are
perfectly in the dark as to
our movements but any
body can see that the
collection of troops
at various points all
in striking distance of
Washington can have
but one meaning We
are drilling here at the
rate of five hours a day
so that we may whip
the Yankees secundum
artem. This is the only piece
of paper I can get & am
obliged to use a pencil so
good bye my dear Mother
yours obt.
M L Randolph

                                 Fort Palmetto
                                                      May 1st 1861
     My Dear Wife
                              Again has you[r] welcome and
interesting letter been received, and read
with unusual interest.  I do not regret your
having remained from Church this morning
as I had the pure gratification of perusing
a letter from you.  If you perform no
worse act than that of writing me on
Sunday I feel that I would like the respon-
sibility to rest upon my head.  You speak of
fearing that we will be ordered to Virginia.
At present there is not the least danger
but to come to the point I believe that I
would prefer going there to remaining here.
Our location is not a favorable one
and the water is so miserably bad.
However you may rest at ease about
the matter.  We are getting along as well
as we could expect, having plenty to eat
and being an officer causes one to fare
a great deal better.  The officers excepting
Shedd, (that , is Macfie, Trapp, McCant and
Myself are all quartered together in a house
and are not exposed to the night air

We have some little amusements in the way of
fishing and rowing boats.  On Saturday Macfie
and myself are going a shell hunting and
hope to be able to get a choice collection.
Wm. Creight will be up on Saturday and I
think I will send some clothes to be washed
and also the Palmetto boquet.  Speaking of
the shirts being made in Winnsboro for the
boys.  I have been and am now wearing
a clored [sic] flannel shirt and besides my
moustaches are growing.  Send the box of
provisions as soon as you choose and
of course let Mr. Thompson know of
it.  Send it as you do my letters sending
by express and pay freight.  By the way I
have been out to dine to-day.  The war Steamer
Seabrook lying in offing invited Macfie
and myself aboard, and we had quite a
fine dinner.  I felt quite at home with a dish
of baked beans before me, and other niceties
too numerous to mention.  Mother should
complain to the council of the pig stye, and
report it as a nuisance unless he removes
it.  Tom begs me to say to you to tell
Jemina that her letter has been received
and that he has written to Amelia, and
requests her to forward it to her at an
early date.  Do go often to see mother and
say to her that I will write her some of these

days, but as I write you so often you can com-
municate with her.  The name you suggest for
Nannie is quite pretty but I think you must
find out Lady Davis name and when I
come up we will decide.  I received the shoes
and a couple of rose buds much withered, bu[t]
I put them aside.
                           I did not get a Bible in
the city yet.  I find enough here and I read
them at least on Sunday.  I expect I will
furnish you with money pretty soon and
I may deliver it in person which may
be in about 2 weeks.  Do let me know
about the covering and about any
dressing you may want.  Give much love
to all, and accept much from your
                     affectionate husband
                                        J M Phinney

James Monroe Phinney, 6th Carolina Infantry

[transcription by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 12661